Take Me Home
by ayewhatever
Summary: Sherlock goes to visit a family friend one night but finds her house up in flames. He goes in to save her, but its too late. It wasn't too late, however, to save her intelligent and curious four year old daughter. How will he be able to take care of her and handle business with her father who is still out there? Credit goes to princeofthefallingangels who is writing this with me x
1. Chapter 1

Sherlock held the small child's hands as they walked at night through the street towards the flat he shared with John. She had grabbed his hand while walking, and he didn't protest. It was necessary anyways, he didn't want her running around and start skipping and jumping around again. Holding his hand was something of reassurance to him that she wouldn't run off. Sherlock told her to stay still, sounding unintentionally harsh, once they got up to the front door steps. She pouted but obeyed and crossed her arms, in attempt to get warmer from the cold and probably stay still. Some snowflakes fell from the sky and she put her arms out to grab them in excitement. "Look Uncle Sherlock! Snow!" She squeaked and he shot her a look that said "be quiet" then went back to silently unlocking the door.

"Come on" he whispered to her, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the flat once he got the door open. "Be quiet, John is sleeping. He can't know you're here until the morning." He whispered, kneeling down to take her small gloves off of her even smaller pale hands. They went upstairs into the living room of the flat.

"You can sleep in my room, I'm going to sleep here. If you need me come and get me, okay?" Sherlock helped her with her coat and lead her to his room, putting her sweater and gloves on the end.

"Uncle Sherlock?" She mumbled sitting on the bed "Why did you take me away from home? Did something happened?" She asked.

She quickly tried to remember everything that had happened so that she could ask about what she didn't know. She learned about that in the school she goes to.

Most of what she remembered was first, hearing her papa yell and then loud bangs she didn't recognize. Her first question was about the loud noises.

She remembered seeing lights outside, like the car leaving and she thought that her papa was probably leaving again like he does after he yells. she then remembered smelling the scent that is in the air when her mother is cooking and the food turns black. She remembered laying in her bed, wanting to get up and see what her mummy was cooking but decided that she didn't want to be yelled at for getting out of bed. She would ask Sherlock what her mummy was cooking.

Next, she heard more yelling coming from Uncle Sherlock even though he was not there before she went to bed. Her next question would ask how he got there.

She then remembers Uncle Sherlock coming into her room, and telling her to close her eyes until he said when to open them. She felt herself be picked up and hearing her fireplace although it was louder than usual. She remembered feeling really hot, like the sun was on her face. She would ask why it was so hot.

She remembers opening her eyes and having her coat and gloves given to her, and then walking a long ways to Sherlock's home.

After the long pause from her uncle Sherlock, she thought this was her time. "The questions I have are: what were the loud banging... Sounds I heard? And what was mummy cooking? How did you get to my home? And why was it so hot in my house?" She nodded, then smiled to herself in feeling good about remembering her questions she had. Sometimes she would forget while at school but then remember later. She hoped Uncle Sherlock would answer her questions at that moment.

Sherlock just nodded at her questions, he didn't want to tell her these answers before she slept but he knew he could avoid it. He sat on the bed, "Lay down and I'll tell you okay but you have to go to sleep after."

Excited to hear the answers to her questions, she crawled up into the bed and placed her hands on her lap over the covers. "Okay!" She said after. "I'll go to sleep right after, I promise!" she pushed, suddenly impatient for the answers to her questions.

Sherlock sighed lightly knowing he had to tell her, "Your mother was making dinner and was shot by your father. He tried to burn down your house with you in it. I came to get you." His words were flat and emotionless as he spoke, "I'm sorry, but your mother's dead."

The girl sighed. She felt like she should have known, papa didn't like Uncle Sherlock and she didn't say goodbye to mummy. Something must have been wrong. She looked at Sherlock, her eyes welling up with tears. "Am I staying with you now? Or so I have to go live with my papa tomorrow?" She asked softly, fiddling her hands nervously, hoping that Sherlock would say that she could stay with him and the John man. She didn't like her papa honestly, he yelled at mummy too much, but she supposed that, that wouldn't happen anymore..

He looked at her softly not knowing how to react correctly with a child, "You are going to stay here for now with me." He didn't know how to comfort a crying child.

She smiled softly for a second then nodded. "Good night Uncle Sherlock." She said finally before rolling over and laying her head on the large pillow, facing her back to where Sherlock was sitting.

Nodding slightly to himself not knowing how to react but he didn't think it was right to just leave her high and dry right after telling her this. He gave a sigh and rolled his eyes lightly then moved to the other side of the bed and leaned back laying next to her lacing his fingers together and resting on his chest, "I'm sorry, Alice."

Alice looked over at Sherlock. She knew how he was, her mummy told her all of the stories about him finding the bad people with the John man, and how he knew things about you with a few looks, and how he had trouble with people and kids like her, but also how she shouldn't be upset with him ever. That he is just trying like everyone else. Alice brought her mouth to form a line, as an attempt to smile. "Thank you." She said, before closing her eyes and falling asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Bit of a short one here, sorry! But I felt the need to get a chapter out there already. The next chapter will be longer, I promise! Anyways, thanks for reading! Credit to princeofthefallingangels who wrote for John in this chapter x

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John woke up first walking down to Sherlock's area looking around for him. Shrugging not seeing him, he decided to let him sleep since it had been five days since he slept. He remembered Sherlock going out last night but didn't hear him return so just to make sure he was there he walked over the door and opened it quietly looking in. He smiled lightly to see Sherlock so peaceful as he slept in his clothing still. John was about to look away when he saw someone else in there. He couldn't make it out so he stopped in shock that someone was in the same bed as Sherlock. He swallowed quickly at the awkward feeling he just got and turned and close the door quietly.

Sherlock woke up to find Alice still sleeping. He silently got up and grabbed his phone to check the time. 8:23. John would be up already. Sherlock went down to the living room of the flat where he knew John would be, and upon seeing him he could see that John had walked into his room to see if he was there and found Alice as well. "John we are taking care of my cousin now. She will call me 'Uncle' but don't be confused, she is my cousin." He said, right when John saw him walk in, to avoid confusion. "Her mother died, who was my Aunt Emma's daughter, her husband killed her mother and tried to kill their daughter. I saved her and I won't just bring her back to her father to be killed or anyone else because then she could be easily gotten to. Her name is Alice. She's 4 years old, almost 5. I hope you understand."

"What about Mycroft?" John tried to take it all in at once, "Why can't Mycroft take her?"

Sherlock shook his head. "And leave her practically smothered in care and with 'do this, do that, here's your clothes, take a bath' as I was as a child?" Sherlock made a face as if disgusted, and genuinely, he was. Sherlock just knew Mycroft would take care of her like how he took care him. "I won't have it. We'll take care of her, John. No problems. But we will inform Mycroft, later though. I need some coffee." Sherlock said, then turned to the kitchen and began making a cup.

"Sherlock, we don't have the things to take care of a child." John's voice rose, "I love kids but I mean you-" he laughed slightly, "You can barely take care of yourself and since when do you like kids?!"

Sherlock paused. "It's only logical? We can get the things. John, she needs protection, we can offer that. And yes I can take care of myself. I did live alone before we met. Please. It's the stupid and annoying kids I don't like. She's neither stupid or annoying. Shes interesting." Sherlock continued making his coffee, noticing he had stopped.

"Sherlock you do know your brother was taking care of you right? But if you want to take care of her then you will." John picked up the newspaper looking at it then sighing out, "You had better call Lestrade. He's on her case looking for her. It's already in the paper."

Sherlock smiled to himself and finished making his coffee. "Playing single mother will keep me from being bored I suppose." He said, sitting in his chair. He took a sip of his coffee and skimmed the back of Johns newspaper.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for reading guys! I promised this one would be longer so here you go! Credit to _princeofthefallingangels_ who is the best.

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"Uncle Sherlock?" Sherlock heard behind him, and he realized Alice had woken up. He turned to his side and there she was, looking at him with tired eyes. "May I please have something to eat, Uncle Sherlock?" She mumbled, embarrassed to ask, and feeling sad that nothing was just a bad dream like she made herself believe last night. Her mummy was not there to make her breakfast or care for her, it was Sherlock and The Man John. Before Sherlock could answer, Alice had walked away towards John. "Good morning, The Man John." She said as she laid out her hand politely. "I'm Alice. Mummy and Uncle Sherlock talk about you sometimes. They say you wear jumpers like the teddy bears do, is that true?" She asked, her hand still out and her head tilted slightly.

Looking up from his paper he saw the dark haired little girl with green eyes holding out her tiny hand to him. He smiled, and shook her tiny hand tilting his head, "I wear jumpers, but I have never seen any teddies that have a jumper like mine."

Alice giggled, "I used to have a teddy bear and he had a silly jumper. Maybe it was like one of yours!" She said. "My papa took him away though, but thats okay!" She smiled at John a charming smile and then walked back towards Sherlock. She leaned on the armrest of his chair and faced towards John, her arm on the armrest. She looked at Sherlock. "Can I have something to eat now please?"

Sherlock stood up moving to the front door looking at John with a smug grin, "Of course Alice, the good food is just down stairs so I'll be right back." Sherlock disappeared down the stairs running into Mrs. Hudson and asking what children like. She furrowed her brow for a moment and then went into her kitchen and got him a plate of food with toast with butter and sugar on it with a glass of milk. She just looked at him strangely, reminding him she wasn't his house keeper as he went back upstairs.

Alice had sat in Sherlock's chair while he was down stairs. She also had politely asked John for the funnies in his newspaper and he handed her the page with a small smile. She told John how she liked to practice her reading by reading the funnies, and she liked the pictures. She especially liked the one with the talking orange cat.

When Sherlock came back with the breakfast in his hands, she neatly folded the newspaper page in half and half then followed Sherlock to the messy table in the kitchen. She watched him move a few of the strange objects she didn't recognize to make room for her food, then sat down and began eating the breakfast. "Thank you Sherlock. This is yummy!" She said, after taking a few bites of the toast.

Sherlock simply gave her a small smile and went back to sit in his chair while she ate. Sitting down he looked to John with a smug smile, "I can do this, see? Simple." He tried to convince John, as well as himself.

John chuckled at Sherlock's statement. He folded his newspaper and leaned forward in his chair to be able to speak quietly to Sherlock. "You asked Mrs. Hudson for help, didn't you?" He said, loud enough for Sherlock to hear but quiet enough so that Alice couldn't.

Sherlock pressed his lips together for a moment putting his nose up looking away, "I was being resourceful John."

John chuckled again before hearing footsteps, too heavy to be Mrs. Hudson's, coming up the stairs. He silently guessed that it was Lestrade, coming to ask for help and not 2 seconds later, the door pushed open and it was in fact, the detective inspector.

"Sherlock, for gods sake, can't you answer your phone? I've called you, I don't know how many.." Lestrade began but soon lost track of what he was saying once he stepped into the room and glanced into the kitchen to see a small girl sitting at the messy table, drinking a cup of milk.

"Lestrade not now, get out." Sherlock waved his hand in the air to him not even bothering to look back, "Thats Alice, say one word and I swear, I will shoot."

Lestrade looked to John. "That's the little girl from the case." He said, and then turned to Sherlock again. "Sherlock, what did I say about taking cases without permission? You don't need to do that anymore, I let you take the difficult ones now, you don't have to go off and solve them on your own!" Lestrade sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

Rolling his eyes he looked back at him, "Did it ever dawn on you that I didn't take her for the case?" He gave a heavy breath and turned back around lacing his fingers together.

Lestrade grunted and shut the door. He sat on the coffee table to the side and put his face in his hands for a moment, then looked back up at Sherlock. "We've been searching for her all night, Sherlock. We thought she was dead." He mumbled.

Alice left her plate and cup at the table, seeing the sink was already full of something she didn't even want to think about and feeling that the last thing she wanted to do was upset her Uncle Sherlock or The Man John. She heard the other man, and knew it wasn't her Uncle Mycroft, so she guessed that it was The Man Lestrade that her mother used to say "gives Uncle Sherlock the puzzles" and is "something like a policeman." She felt that it was safe, and she quietly walked back into the main room.

"Well she is very much alive, and not dead." Sherlock said to him motioning to her as she walked back into the room. "Alice, this is Lestrade. Lestrade be nice."

Alice smiled, and walked over to Lestrade with her hand out "Hello The Man Lestrade" she said.

Lestrade gave her a confused look for a moment then shook her tiny hand, "Hello Alice." He hesitated to look back at Sherlock, "You do know I'm going to have to take her in and probably arrest you?"

Alice looked at Lestrade with squinted eyes and tilted her head. "A- arrested-ed? What does that mean?" She asked Lestrade curiously

Lestrade looked back at her gently, "A very bad thing you never want to happen because a copper will come and put shiny bracelets on your hands so they can't move and take you away to a place where you can't go home."

Sherlock looked to Lestrade, "I thought I said be nice."

Lestrade turned back, "I was. Now you're coming with me Sherlock." He snapped. "I swear to god, every time." He muttered.

Alice's eyes went large in realization. "Wait! you can't do that to Uncle Sherlock!" She turned around and walked over to stand by Sherlock's chair and leaned on his legs. "He saved me, he didn't do anything wrong, he's okay. Right? Uncle Sherlock?" She said, defensively against Lestrade and giving Lestrade a mad looking face. She felt tough and brave and that she had to save her Uncle Sherlock because he had saved her. She thought about it while eating her breakfast, that she could be gone like her mummy, but she wasn't thanks to her Uncle Sherlock. So she felt protected by him, and didn't want to lose him.

Sherlock looked to Lestrade, "Her mother was my cousin and I took her out of the burning house, I should be getting a medal."

Lestrade rolled his eyes going closer to Sherlock's chair, "Yeah, for hanging around a child this long, not losing her, damaged her, broken her, driven her mad, or gotten her killed by now. But I can't just let her stay here. With you, none the least. Come on, Sherlock." Lestrade said simply to him, standing in front of Alice. He kneeled down, "Your uncle isn't a badman, but we have to bring him in or I will get in big trouble."

Her bravery fading and wearing thin, Alice looked down. "Can I go too?" She asked softly, taking a second to glance up at Sherlock, who had walked out of the room and went upstairs.

John stood up and looked at Lestrade when he stood back up from kneeling. "Sherlock won't let Mycroft take care of her, he doesn't want her being brought up the way he was. He wants to take care of her, and we'll obviously help. Maybe we can find a way for him to get custody and not her father." John sighed. He looked down at Alice, who was then looking down. "Alice?" He said. She looked up with big green eyes.

"Yes?" She said quietly, bringing her hands together and up towards her face.

John reached his hand out for her to hold it, and once she took it he continued. "It'll all be okay. Sherlock didn't do anything wrong, so he will be okay. But when we get to where we need to go, a lady will ask you questions, and you need to answer them truthfully okay?" John tried to be as kind and gently as possible in efforts to help her be less nervous. But then he realized that everything going on for her must be upsetting, if not traumatizing. He frowned at this and his heart went out to her. "Hey, when we are all done we can get some ice lollies! How about that?"

Alice's face lit up into a smile and she gripped Johns hand tightly. "Okay!" she said excitedly as she did a small jump of anticipation. Just then, Sherlock came back in a fresh suit, his scarf in hand and his hair looking more tamed than it did before. He grabbed his coat and put it on before his scarf, giving a small glance to John before looking to Lestrade. "We'll take a cab, Lestrade." he said before going downstairs. John and Lestrade exchanged a look before following him down the stairs and out of the flat.


End file.
